UPDATE: Retired cop beats homicide charge in 2011 Bangor crash

Tuesday

Dec 11, 2012 at 11:59 AMDec 11, 2012 at 2:13 PM

After deliberating for much of yesterday and two hours this morning, a jury of six men and six women found a former New Jersey police officer from Lopatcong Township guilty in the deaths of two motorcyclists in a crash last year.

TOM SHORTELL

EASTON — After deliberating for much of yesterday and two hours this morning, a jury of six men and six women found a former New Jersey police officer from Lopatcong Township guilty in the deaths of two motorcyclists in a crash last year.

The mixed verdict, however, left the large contingent of family and friends to the late Keith Michaelson and Michael Zadoyko frustrated outside the courtroom today.

The Northampton County jury convicted John P. Heaney III of two counts of involuntary manslaughter, four counts of recklessly endangering another person and drunken driving along with other summary offenses for his role in the wreck July 1, 2011, outside Bangor.

The jury cleared him of more serious charges, including drunken vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle and drunken aggravated assault by vehicle.

Outside the courtroom, more than two dozen family and friends comforted each other. The group, which for the most part attended every minute of the trial, consulted with Assistant District Attorneys Bill Blake and Joe Lupickino before gathering their things and leaving.

After a day of fishing and four or five drinks, Heaney's Dodge Ram drifted out of his lane while heading north on Route 512 on the Bangor border. He strayed into the path of a caravan of motorcyclists from the Last Chance Motorcycle Club, a group of recovering addicts committed to sobriety.

The collision instantly killed riders Keith Michaelson, 52, and Michael Zadoyko, 47. Four of the other five bikers were injured as they swerved to avoid the oncoming pickup truck.

Jerry Hoogmoed, one of the bikers who witnessed the crash, vented outside the courtroom about the verdict. He fumed at seeing Heaney painted as a model citizen after he and his fellow bikers struggled through their addictions to become just that.

"I think it's horrible," Hoogmoed said of the verdict while wearing a shirt reading, "I support the 'Kill a biker, go to jail' campaign." "They didn't see through any of the smokescreen."

Blake, however, praised the jury for its hard work and diligence. The jury paid close attention throughout the entire trial, and as recently as Monday night it looked like it was going to be a hung jury.

"It was an extremely difficult case," he said. "They deliberated hard. They came back with a result we're pleased with."

Heaney testified he had about four drinks over four hours prior to the crash, but his defense said the former Plainfield, N.J., officer was affected by low blood sugar from a gastric bypass operation making him appear drunk. He refused a blood draw after the accident. Defense attorney Dennis Charles declined to comment.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 14. Heaney faces a maximum of 18 and a half years in prison, but as a first-time offender, state guidelines suggest nine to 16 months in prison. Blake said he will request the sentence be served in state prison.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.